Hats off to Arco as UK’s leading safety provider strives for sustainable future

As the UK’s leading safety supplier, Arco knows a thing or two about looking after people.

The fifth-generation Hull business has almost a century and a half of experience of supplying industry-leading protective workwear.

Alongside keeping people and businesses safe, Arco is committed to protecting our planet.

From the materials that make up its products, to the energy powering its buildings, Arco has put sustainability at the heart of its operations.

Following the release of its latest Sustainability Report, we spoke to the Oh Yes! Net Zero member’s Head of Sustainability, Jim Harbidge, to find out more.

Arco is the UK’s leading safety supplier. Credit: Arco

Why product is key

“When you break it down, clients buy products from us with the trust that what we offer is better than that of our competitors,” Arco’s Head of Sustainability, Jim Harbidge, said.

“When you’re competing with the likes of Amazon, that can be very challenging. People are drawn by the low prices on offer, and the ease and convenience of buying.

“That’s why, at Arco, we’re investing a lot of time and resource into examining the quality of the products we offer, from the materials used to their lifespan and reusability.”

Arco’s ‘Responsible Choice’ range was developed for circularity, with products offering life-extending features and rigorously tested for durability in laboratory conditions.

The results have been impressive. Switching from virgin polyester to 100 per cent recycled polyester in Arco’s jackets led to a carbon saving of 61 per cent. Using cotton which meets the ‘Better Cotton’ certification offers on average a 19 per cent carbon reduction.

Arco routinely uses embroidery threads manufactured from recycled plastic bottles – a move which has reduced single-use plastic use by more than a tonne every year.

In a sign that customers are making greener purchasing decisions, ‘Responsible Choice’ products now account for more than seven per cent of Arco’s year-end sales, with a target to increase that to 12 per cent in 2025.

Switching from virgin polyester to 100 per cent recycled polyester in Arco’s jackets led to a carbon saving of 61 per cent. Credit: Arco.

A global approach to net zero

Working with fellow Oh Yes! member and waste management specialist MYGroup, Arco’s hard hats can be broken down into polymers at the end of their life, to be remade into new hats.

Arco’s procurement team travels across the world to source the best products, and factories, where items can be made. Using supply chain tech platform Supply Pilot, Arco can use real-time data to better understand where its materials are sourced, and which markets to work in.

Arco consults with Government on circularity in the textiles industry, and created its own Lyfcycle traceability platform to calculate the carbon footprint of each item it sells – from the factory it is made in, the materials used, and its journey to market.

Jim conceded that “you cannot get sustainable gloves,” but said “what you can get is more sustainable gloves, and that is what we’re focusing on across our entire product portfolio.”

“We’re constantly speaking to our suppliers to understand our Scope 3 emissions, and what efforts they are going to in terms of the materials they use.”

Arco has joined more than 170 fellow Oh Yes! Net Zero members to lead Hull to a greener, low carbon future. Credit: Arco.

Solar investment reaps rewards

In 2020, Arco unveiled its second National Distribution Centre – NDC2 – in Hull, representing a £30m investment from the business.

At peak season, NDC2 is fully powered by rooftop solar panels, following a £1m installation.

With the payback time on the solar investment being just three to four years, it represented a shrewd decision from both a business and sustainability perspective.

But Jim knows much more work must be done to measure and understand energy consumption across Arco’s wider estate.

He said: “We don’t yet know enough about how, why and when we consume energy across our whole estate, and how to optimise it.

“We’ve started to sub-meter some of our buildings, so we can get a better picture of that, and then we can put a plan in place to reduce consumption.

“We’ve made a lot of changes to our lighting and infrastructure, and are assessing our air-conditioning systems to make sure they are serviced and running efficiently.

“We’ve also installed EV chargers for our staff, which have been very popular.”

Working with fellow Oh Yes! member and waste management specialist MYGroup, Arco’s hard hats can be broken down into polymers at the end of their life.

Safe Business, Safe People, Safe Planet

In Arco’s 2024 Sustainability Report, CEO Guy Bruce said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. From the energy powering our buildings, to the materials that make up our products, to the way we work with our suppliers, we’re always thinking of new ways to help secure a safer tomorrow.”

The business remains on track to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, compared to 2018/19 levels, and has set a target to be net zero by 2045.

Jim said the benefits for businesses embarking on net zero are clear to see.

He said: “If businesses are thinking net zero conflicts with growth, then they are looking at the wrong things.

“Our customers are more conscious than ever of the products they are buying, and where they have come from. Sustainability is business-critical, make no mistake of that.

“Often it is the small changes that can have the biggest impact. Involving your people in the process is key, and embedding sustainability within your company’s DNA.”

Driven by its three core values – Safe Business, Safe People, Safe Planet – Arco has joined more than 170 fellow Oh Yes! Net Zero members to lead Hull to a greener, low carbon future.

• You can read Arco’s 2024 Sustainability Report on its website at: www.arco.co.uk/sustainability.